Phillies' Kendrick learns too much hustle not always a good thing

As part of pitching coach Bob McClure’s hope Kendrick can better his rhythm and keep batters from getting comfortable against him, the veteran right-hander tried to lessen the time he takes between pitches when started the Phillies’ 10-6 win over the Tigers Friday afternoon.

Maybe that played a part in him striking out three batters in his two innings. He definitely thought it was a factor in the three walks he surrendered.

“I think I was really rushing in my delivery and a lot of balls were up,” Kendrick said after allowing three first-inning runs. “We talked about that after my outing today. You don’t need to rush in your delivery, just try to pick it up in between pitches. I feel like I did that, but I think I might have carried it into my delivery. There’s a fine line there … I just might be a guy that has to have a little slower tempo. I just didn’t throw enough strikes today.”

There is another aspect of 2014 that Kendrick can’t rush: free agency. He is making $7.7 million in his final season of arbitration eligibility, and that came after a Jekyll & Hyde season in which he had a 3.68 ERA in 19 starts before the All-Star break, but unraveled with a 6.91 ERA in his final 11 starts before being shut down with arm fatigue.

The first half made it seem he was building his way to a major payday; the second half sends him into 2014 in need of fortifying his reputation as a solid inning-eating cog.

“We’ve had so many guys in this rotation that have been really good — former Cy Young (winners), big-name guys,” Kendrick said. “It’s how it has been my whole career. I’m not looking to get noticed. I just want to go out, especially this year, and have a healthy, quality season, and for us to win games. I want to pitch in the postseason. If I can go out there and make my starts, I’ll be happy with that.”

Kendrick wasn’t going to plead ignorance to his status. He knows what this season means to both the organization and his bank account. A bad year for the Phillies could mean a breaking up of the nucleus. A bad year for Kendrick could cost him tens of millions of dollars — and that isn’t an exaggeration.

“I take every year as a big year,” Kendrick said, “but this is a big year for our team and me personally. The main thing is health, that’s a big key. If I can stay healthy, make my starts and pitch my innings while giving us a chance to win … I know I say that every time and it’s a cliché, but it’s the truth. If you stay on the field, that’s big.”

There are a wide range of contracts for those with similar numbers and workload to Kendrick over the last three seasons — from 2011 to 2013 over 456 innings, he has a 4.05 ERA and 1.31 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched).

At the low end, are Bruce Chen (4.18 ERA, 1.30 WHIP in 2011-13) with $4.25 million guaranteed and another $4.25 million in an option, and Paul Maholm (3.89, 1.30), who received an incentive-heavy, one-year deal with a $1.5 million base from the Dodgers. At the higher end, there are guys like Tim Lincecum (4.03, 1.31), who got a two-year, $35 million deal from the Giants after two straight sub-par seasons. Those pitchers, however, have either age or health concerns that reach beyond any Kendrick has had, and in Lincecum’s case, his four-year stretch as arguably the best pitcher in baseball played a big part in his big money.

But perhaps the best parallel to Kendrick at this stage is Jason Vargas (4.04, 1.28), who this offseason received a four-year, $32 million deal from the Royals. If Kendrick has another typical season, that would seem to be the range he could expect. If he does better than those three-year figures, maybe he gets closer to the Matt Garza (four years, $50 million) range; if he dips or has a disabled-list stint, he could find himself in Maholm’s position.

“I definitely saw them,” Kendrick said of the contracts out there. “I definitely heard about them. (You see) similar guys close to your numbers sign those deals … that’s a good thing. It’s good for baseball. It’s good for guys coming up, a guy like myself, after this year. Obviously you see them and you just want to put up better numbers.”

There are all sorts of theories about what the last year before free agency will do to players. Manager Ryne Sandberg isn’t ready to judge which way Kendrick will go in his pivotal season.

“It’s something to look at as the season goes,” Sandberg said, “but he’s a good pitcher in our rotation. When he’s right, he has two or three good pitches with ground ball written all over them. For me, it’s just him going out, trying to get better and pitch.”

•••

NOTES: Jimmy Rollins had two walks and a home run against Detroit’s split squad, and the former might have pleased the manager more than the latter. “Yeah, I liked the walks,” Sandberg said. “With Jimmy becoming a base runner and taking the walks … that’s big in the two-hole. He still has his pop. But it’s not something I’m stressing or looking at.” … Marlon Byrd had two hits for the Phils, who scored eight runs in the third inning … The Phils tweaked the pitching order in Tampa Saturday against the Yankees. Right-hander David Buchanan will start the game instead of Cuban right-hander Miguel Gonzalez. There will be a huge crowd and media contingent at the game for Masahiro Tanaka’s debut with the Yankees, and the Phils want to downplay the experience for Gonzalez, who has been shaky in workouts since signing a $12 million deal last summer. “There’s no physical reason,” McClure said. “It’s just his first time out. I wouldn’t start you your first time out. I’d like you to work into it.” … Darren Daulton, who announced last year he was battling brain cancer, was at the ballpark Friday, looking lean, and sharp and sporting a shaved head … Jonathan Pettibone (shoulder) threw a brief bullpen, but is weeks away from even the thought of game action.